I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 115: After modification - Shire Can’t Be Defeated by Him

Chapter 115: After modification: Chapter 115 Shire Can’t Be Defeated by Him

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Paris Bourbon Palace House of Representatives, Gallieni was on stage accepting emergency questioning from the members.

The reason was that Gallieni had listed a large number of equipment in wartime procurement regulations, including 100 airplanes and 500 tractors, with a total procurement amount of up to 2.2 million francs.

"General Gallieni!" one representative asked: "The frontline battles are extremely fierce. At this time, don’t we need rifles, artillery, and ammunition? Why would you choose to spend a huge amount on nearly useless airplanes and tractors?"

A chorus of agreement rose from below:

"Yes, we need rifles and artillery, we need to arm more soldiers!"

"What can airplanes do? Attack enemy balloons? That won’t kill many enemies!"

"What can tractors do? Plow fields? Yet, you want to buy 500 of them!"

...

Gallieni answered unhurriedly: "You are right, Members of Parliament, frontline soldiers do indeed need weapons and ammunition, but the key is, how can we get these weapons and ammunition to them!"

"What do you mean?" Steed, the owner of Saint-Etienne Arsenal, stood up and questioned, "Don’t we have trains, cars, and horses? Do we also need airplanes and tractors to send weapons and ammunition to the battlefield?"

Steed turned to the members behind him and loudly asked: "Would you buy a tractor just to use it for transporting goods?"

The members laughed heartily, thinking it absurd, because the tractor’s speed only suited it for plowing fields.

However, some recalled the tanks modified from tractors but chose to remain silent.

Gallieni raised his chin slightly and asked instead: "Gentlemen, has anyone among you been to Ypres?"

A few people raised their hands to indicate they had.

Gallieni made a small gesture to invite them: "Gentlemen, please share your impressions of Ypres!"

Several members answered one after another:

"It is a flat area near the coast, very humid!"

"Yes, there is water everywhere, like a swamp!"

"Transportation is very inconvenient. Once it rains, cars can’t move because they will get stuck shortly after moving!"

...

Gallieni nodded slightly, shifted his gaze back to Steed, and politely asked: "Sir, did you hear what they said?"

Then Gallieni scanned the room and gave a brief summary: "The terrain of Ypres, only tractors can get in and out! Only tractors can tow artillery inside, and only tractors can deliver the bread, ammunition, and other supplies soldiers need to them, yet you oppose my purchase of them?"

The members immediately fell silent, and Steed sat down with a sullen face.

This emergency questioning targeting Gallieni was initiated by Steed, still upset that Gallieni had replaced the Saint-Etienne machine guns with Hatchkiss machine guns, making all the Saint-Etienne machine guns he produced stacked in the warehouse as scrap metal.

At this point, Jameson stood up: "Then what about the airplanes? Why did you purchase airplanes? We already have enough airplanes. Compared to these flying things, soldiers need artillery more, yet you didn’t increase the purchase of artillery!"

The members again shouted one after another:

"Yes, soldiers need artillery!"

"Artillery can give us victory!"

"Airplanes have very limited use. We should spend funds on useful things!"

...

Jameson was the owner of Schneider Military Factory, and it was artillery that he produced. Of course, he hoped Gallieni would increase artillery purchases.

Gallieni just gave a cold smile and retorted: "Is that so? Do you think only artillery can bring us victory, and the airplanes have limited use?"

"Isn’t this common knowledge?" Jameson insisted on his viewpoint: "You may say that airplanes shot down dirigibles and destroyed a ’Big Bertha’ at Antwerp, but what if the Germans don’t deploy dirigibles? Destroying ’Big Bertha’ was a matter of chance!"

Jameson then added: "Even your purchase of tractors is to tow artillery and shells to the front, your actions prove we need more artillery!"

Gallieni snorted, a trace of disdain on his lips: "Then let’s wait and see, Mr. Jameson!"

"That won’t work on me, General!" Jameson laughed proudly: "This can’t be brushed off with a mere ’wait and see.’ Everyone is waiting for your answer!"

Jameson thought Gallieni said this to intentionally postpone the topic, which he wouldn’t allow.

The members behind him, even other members, thought the same, and cooperated by booing the stage.

Gallieni calmly took out his pocket watch, flicked open the cover, glanced at the time, then put it back, confidently saying: "It’s almost time, gentlemen, maybe just a few minutes, won’t keep you waiting too long!"

Grevy and Arman sitting in the audience didn’t speak. This had little to do with them, traditional nobles, it was left-wing capitalists looting and dividing military equipment.

Arman suddenly thought of a question and whispered to Grevy: "Is Francis going to make a fortune? 500 tractors, and possibly more purchases..."

Grevy interrupted Arman: "Before this, he had already sold all the tractors, at 900 francs each!"

"What?" Arman was surprised and then laughed: "He indeed lacks some luck!"

"Do you think it’s luck?" Grevy smiled and shook his head.

"Otherwise..." Arman looked at Grevy suspiciously.

Grevy smiled without speaking, and Arman suddenly understood: "The person who bought the tractors, wouldn’t it be Shire?!"

Grevy nodded slightly: "Before, I wasn’t sure, but now, it can only be him!"

"Smart kid!" Arman sighed: "Probably his suggestion for the military to buy tractors!"

"Of course it’s him!" Grevy’s gaze fixed on Gallieni on the stage: "Shire seems to have everything under control. He knows what the military needs. All he has to do is buy it in advance, then give a suggestion to the military and instantly make money from it. What could be easier?"

"Is he not worried about the current situation?" Arman spread his hands towards the surroundings, meaning the members’ questioning and criticism.

Grevy answered with certainty: "As long as these things indeed work on the battlefield, or they win battles, no one can question them!"

Arman thoughtfully nodded. Winning battles would mean the military bought correctly, Shire was doing the right thing, what was there to question? Questioning victory? Then the questioner must be a traitor!

Only the airplanes...

Arman was baffled, could they really, as the members thought, only be used to hit balloons? That wouldn’t stop their questioning!

At this point, the left-wing members couldn’t wait any longer, their questions became louder and more intense, eventually turning into curses:

"Get down, we know what’s happening!"

"This is an unreasonable purchase. We will urge the government to remove it from wartime procurement regulations!"

"You have to take responsibility for this purchase, all those who benefited from it have to take responsibility!"

...

Some even threw paper balls towards the stage.

But Gallieni remained unmoved at the lectern, letting the paper balls hit him and then roll to the ground.

At this moment, Major Fernan rushed in from the other side, panting, he jogged down the long aisle to Gallieni and eagerly handed a telegram.

Gallieni took the telegram and instantly smiled victoriously:

"Gentlemen, allow me to announce some good news."

"Just now, our flying squadron under Lieutenant Shire’s command shot down thirteen enemy planes over Ypres!"

"No casualties on our side!"

The House of Representatives fell silent instantly, it was "shot down" not "destroyed," and it was thirteen, more importantly, no casualties on our side. How was such a victory achieved?

Was it fabricating battle achievements?

No, such achievements would be easily debunked, Gallieni wouldn’t make such a mistake!

Then it must be... Shire!

Everyone thought of this possibility, and the venue was instantly filled with discussions, everyone discussing what Shire had invented this time!

Grevy’s expression became serious, feeling that Shire might have risen to another level he needed to look up to, perhaps Shire wasn’t someone he could defeat.